Rumor: The Sarah & Barba Series
by girlattherockshow2
Summary: Rafael forgets a file at his apartment. Guess who he has to call to bring it to him at the precinct? Part 3 of the Sarah & Barba series.


"Shit. Shit, shit shit," Rafael said, rifling through his briefcase in futility. He could have sworn he'd packed the McGerry file that morning when he left his apartment, but it wasn't anywhere to be found.

"What's wrong, Barba?" Olivia came out of her office, carrying the file for yet another new case she wanted to present to him. The rest of the squad met them at the conference table in the front of the room, preparing for the case workup.

"I forgot the damn file I needed for court today," he replied, slamming his briefcase shut on the table and rubbing his forehead. "I have no idea how I did that."

"Do you have time to go get it?"

He checked his watch. "Unfortunately, no. I live in East Harlem, there's no way I can make it there and back on the subway before one," he said.

Carisi looked at him. "I could go get it for you, counselor," he said. "Just take the squad car and hustle up there… it'll be faster than the subway, even without the siren."

"Carisi," Olivia said, a warning in her voice, "you're not taking the squad car."

"One time I leave the keys in the ignition! We can't let him go argue this case blind, Sarge. It's one of OUR cases."

"Is there anyone else that can get it for you?" Olivia sounded hesitant.

Rafael considered this. There WAS one person who lived within twenty minutes of him, and who worked from home. He really didn't want to bother her while she was working, but he also didn't want Carisi going anywhere near his apartment.

"I think I know someone," he said. "Give me a minute, I'll be back." He stepped off to the side of the room to make a phone call. Nick looked at Olivia with a raised eyebrow.

"What's that about?" he asked. "You'd think he could just call and ask without making a production out of it."

"Are you always paranoid?" Rollins shot back. "Nothing wrong with wanting a little privacy."

In the meantime, Rafael hit send on Sarah's speed dial number. She picked up on the second ring, startling him a bit.

"Hello, handsome," she said brightly. "I thought you had a meeting with SVU."

"I do-I mean, I'm there now. But I need a favor."

"All business, I see. What do you need from me?" He heard her typing in the background, multitasking as always.

"I forgot the file I need for court today in my apartment. I'm pretty sure it's on my desk in my spare room. I was wondering if-"

"Only if you're very grateful later," she replied, cutting him off. "Only problem is I don't have a key."

"I'll text my super and let him know you're coming," he said. "He'll let you in."

"Okay," she said. "Where do you want me to bring it? It's 11:30 now."

He hesitated. He could have her bring it right to the courthouse, but it would take her at least fifteen minutes to get through security. But he wasn't sure he was ready for her to meet the squad - or, really, for the squad to meet her. He wasn't embarrassed of her, of course, but he hated mixing his personal and work lives. Unfortunately, pragmatism had to win out.

"Just bring it to the precinct," he said. "I'll be here for a while."

"You got it," she said. "I'll be at your place in ten minutes."

"It takes twenty," he said.

"Not if I run," she said. "Not all of us are afraid of sweat." He rolled his eyes.

"I'll let that one slide," he said, "because I want my file."

"See you soon."

"Thanks."

He turned back to the squad, all of whom were busy with the case, except Nick, who was looking at him suspiciously.

"What?" Rafael said, approaching the table.

"Nothing," Nick said. "What's with the smile?"

It was then that Rafael realized he'd been grinning stupidly almost the entire time he'd been on the phone.

"Nothing," he echoed. "So, what's the case?"

* * *

Sarah entered the precinct, turning her head from side to side, searching through the sea of detectives and uniformed cops for an invariably flashy pair of suspenders, or a ridiculous shirt-and-tie combo. She had never actually been inside a police station. This one was different than she'd imagined. It was well-lit and nicely appointed, not at all like the dungeons she'd seen on television.

"Excuse me," she said, stopping a pretty blonde woman in a pant suit. "I'm looking for Rafael Barba."

"Oh, he's in with Sergeant Benson," the blonde replied. "Follow me, I'll take you right to him. You brought his file, right?"

"That's me," she said. "I'm Sarah."

"I'm Amanda," the blonde replied, looking a bit taken aback. She turned and started heading toward the back of the room, toward an office with a large window with the blinds drawn. Sarah supposed this was the captain's office.

"So are you his new assistant?" Amanda glanced behind her.

"Not exactly. I'm his girlfriend," Sarah replied. Amanda stopped short, Sarah almost crashing into her. "Something I said?" she asked.

Amanda turned around. Sarah was quite pretty, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. Dressed in leggings and a long Harvard sweatshirt - Amanda wondered if it didn't belong to the counselor himself - she couldn't have been more than thirty years old. It took her a second, but Amanda collected herself.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just… I didn't know he was-"

"It's no problem," she said. "I know what you're thinking."

"I-no, really, I'm sorry-"

"Believe me, I'd be thinking it too. I mean, I don't usually go out of the house in leggings, but I had no time to change." Sarah smiled, deliberately offering Amanda a way out. Amanda was grateful for it.

"Anyway," Amanda said, "he's in here." She knocked on the door and then opened it without waiting for a response.

"Barba," Amanda said, "your girlfr- I mean, Sarah is here." Sarah stepped past Amanda and entered the office. She was wearing his sweatshirt over a pair of leopard print leggings and her hair was pulled back with a headband. She looked as good as Rafael had ever seen her, and he forgot himself for a moment, smiling just a bit too long at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Olivia raising an eyebrow at him, and he turned a shade of pink that she'd never seen.

"Oh, um," he stuttered, "thanks, Sarah. Olivia, this is Sarah."

Sarah walked toward Olivia's desk and extended her hand. Olivia returned the gesture and smiled warmly.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Sarah said, her voice light. "Rafael talks about you all the time."

"I've heard that before," Olivia said, laughing. "We appreciate you bringing this file down here, since it's one of our cases he's arguing."

"Oh, it's no problem," Sarah said. "I work from home, and I only live a few minutes away from him. Besides, it was nice to finally see his apartment." Rafael coughed, and Sarah glanced at him. "I'll see you later tonight, then?"

His head spun. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted, but he couldn't exactly blame her for not realizing he hadn't told the people he'd said were his friends about his six-months-old relationship.

"Sure," he said. "I'll call you."

"Sergeant Benson," Sarah said, "like I said, it was really nice to finally meet you."

She left the office and watched Amanda and three other detectives force their heads back down at their work as she made her way through the squad room. Suddenly, she had the suspicion that none of them knew she existed, despite Rafael telling her that he considered these detectives his closest friends. Not that she particularly cared about such things, but after the night they'd spent a couple months back at the Woodsman, she was surprised he hadn't told them. Then again, maybe it had never come up.

After Sarah had left the room, Amanda looked at Fin, Nick, and Carisi.

"Who was THAT?" Carisi said.

"She brought Barba his file," Amanda said. "That's all I'm gonna say."

"She was HOT," Carisi replied, still staring out the door. "Maybe Barba can introduce me."

Just then, Rafael and Olivia came out of her office. "Hey, Barba," Amanda said with a smirk, "Carisi wants to know if you can introduce him to that girl who just left."

"I-what?"

"That's his assistant," Nick said. "You want him to get hit with a sexual harassment suit?"

"When'd you get a new assistant?" Fin asked. "What happened to Marissa?"

"She's not his assistant," Amanda said.

"Ignore her, counselor," Carisi said, turning red. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Oh, but I do," Amanda said. Rafael stared at her, and realized she knew. He couldn't hide it any longer. Amanda would spill the beans as soon as he left anyway.

"Oh, fine," Rafael said, rolling his eyes. "That wasn't my assistant."

"Well, who is she then, and why does she have a key to your apartment?" Nick asked.

"She-she's my girl...friend." The word unintentionally split at the seam. "Girlfriend."

Fin grinned knowingly. "Way to go, counselor," he said.

"Damn, Barba, didn't know you had it in you," Nick said.

"Oh, shut up," Rafael said, cheeks burning. "And Carisi, you're not her type." Carisi looked dejected.

"Obviously," he said. "She clearly goes for short and snarky."

"Better than tall and thickheaded," Rafael spat back.

"Guys, come on," Olivia interjected. "None of this is our business." Rafael had never been more grateful for Olivia than he was at that moment. She walked with him to the door of the precinct, among snickers from the rest of the squad.

"Don't let them get to you," she said quietly. "I'm happy for you, and so are they. Well, except Carisi."

"And you know how disappointed I am about that," Rafael said.

"Barba?"

"Yeah?"

"Why DIDN'T you tell me, at least? You seem to talk ABOUT me all the time, why didn't you talk TO me?"

Rafael sighed. "I guess I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that she's so much…"

"Prettier than you?" Olivia grinned.

He returned the smile. "Yeah, that."

"Well, she's nothing to be embarrassed about. And while you're talking about me… she's obviously talking about YOU." Olivia always had a way of saying the thing he needed to hear instead of the thing he wanted to hear. He nodded, understanding.

"I'll call you after court," he said. As he left, he reminded himself to pick up some flowers on his way to Sarah's apartment that night. She deserved it for putting up with him.


End file.
